Speech and language therapy
An independent service tailored to your needs
How can Your Headspace help?
You will benefit from Zein’s extensive experience of assessment, diagnosis and intervention for children with complex speech, language and communication needs. Zein’s collaborative approach means that she works closely with you and your child, as well as other involved professionals to ensure that therapy is as tailored and effective as possible.
Speech
Your Headspace can assess and implement intervention that supports the development of intelligible speech, helping the individual to be understood. Speech development needs may be specific or could be part of a more complex pattern of needs for example, as part of a diagnosis, such as Down Syndrome.
Language
Your Headspace can assess language skills, supporting and enabling a child or young person to understand and express meaning in a number of ways.. This could be through gesture, signing, symbols, words, questions, sentences and stories. Facilitating language development can include supporting a child to find the words needed and connect them into a sequence that expresses their meaning. It can include supporting communication for different reasons such as asking questions, explaining something or telling a joke.
Communication
Your Headspace can help with assessing and enabling communication in social and learning contexts. Holistic assessment in everyday contexts is essential when supporting the development of a child’s or young person’s communication skills.
What can I expect?
Initial consultation
The initial consultation usually takes place at your home. This first session is up to 2 hours long. It represents the start of the therapy process and usually begins with a case history conversation with you, as parents and carers, involving your child/young person as appropriate. This involves listening to your thoughts and concerns and asking you questions to gather the information needed. It is important to paint as full and as up to date a picture as possible of an individual’s skills, strengths and needs.
There is time in the session for direct assessment of speech, language, and communication skills. Assessment includes discussion, detailed observation of communication skills, informal structured activities, and sometimes formal tests, depending on an individual's age and needs.
At the end of the initial consultation, findings and recommendations will be discussed in full. Practical suggestions for activities and strategies will be explored with you during the session so you can help your child/young person’s speech, language, and communication as soon as possible.
Further intervention and subsequent sessions
If further assessment and/or intervention is indicated, a plan that includes practical strategies/activities is discussed and formulated with you. This is also likely to include follow up in an educational setting and liaison with the staff who support your child there.
A therapy plan is based on:
the outcomes of assessments;
a child's or young person’s needs and context; and
agreed priorities.
The number of therapy sessions that may be required are fully negotiated and can vary depending on individual needs. Speech and language therapy intervention can be offered in person, online, and/or delegated as a highly supported programme of strategies/activities with regular reviews.
Speech and language therapy fees:
All costs are discussed in advance. Payment is on a pay as you go basis and expected within 24 hours of the session or submission of a report.
i) Session costs
Initial Consultation 2 hours: £140
Subsequent sessions (this includes, assessment, intervention, meetings)
£65 per hour
£40 per half hour (this can be useful for phone/online liaison, for example)
ii) Travel expenses
Return travel is charged outside 10 miles of the Your Headspace base. Return mileage is charged at 45 pence per mile using Google Maps.
Further costs are negotiated in advance, and this may include travel time at half the sessional rate (£32.50), if the journey time is over 45 minutes.
iii) Written reports
Written reports: £130 (for example, submitted for Annual Review meetings)
Reports for Tribunal or other legally based proceedings are charged at a higher rate, please contact Your Headspace to discuss.
What if my child is waiting for a National Health Service (NHS) therapy appointment?
The provision of independent therapy does not prevent a child or young person from accessing NHS therapy. Sometimes independent therapy is sought whilst waiting for NHS therapy, sometimes in between 'blocks' to 'top-up' therapy received and sometimes alongside NHS therapy.
Whatever the circumstances, full co-operation and collaboration between independent and NHS speech and language therapists is expected and necessary in a child or young person’s best interests.